late that night bunny cotton-tail made up his mind to run away. so he crept out of his little house, and through a hole in the back fence, and was off. the great moon was staring down at him, and he was very much afraid of the moon, but he could not go very fast, for his paw still hurt him and he limped sadly.
after a while he sat down on a log to rest, and whom did he see coming down the road with a wheel-barrow but mother cotton-tail? she had been searching all night and all day for bunny.
[13]when bunny saw his mother he clapped his paws together so hard that he hurt his sore one, and he cried: “oh, ma, oh, ma!”
mother cotton-tail did not waste any words, for mr. fox is out in the woods at night. she just tumbled bunny into that old wheel-barrow, and whisk! they went down the road; while the big moon laughed and made a face at them.
when they got home all the rabbits in the neighborhood stood around the front gate, and they all cried: “hurrah! welcome home, bunny!”
bunny was so ashamed that he hung his head and waved his sore paw feebly. then his mother took[14] him into the house and put him to bed.
poor bunny was so shaken up by the ride in that wheel-barrow that he did not sleep very well, and next day he had to stay at home with his mother while all the other rabbits went to a pic-nic.
after supper, when he was sitting up in a big arm-chair by the window, whom should he see coming slowly up the road but his dear friend susan cotton-tail? susan cotton-tail walked slowly because she was very tired. the rabbits had tramped miles and miles on that pic-nic.
susan cotton-tail carried something on her arm. at first bunny thought it[15] was a bag, and then he saw it was a basket. what do you suppose susan cotton-tail had in that basket? she had some nice things that she had saved for bunny, from the pic-nic.
when susan saw bunny sitting by the window, she did not stop to go around to the front door, as her mother had trained her to do. she jumped right in through the window, and took a seat on the arm of bunny’s chair.
have you ever had to stay at home from a pic-nic when all the other children went? and did you have a dear friend who brought you some of the good things to eat? if so, you know just how bunny felt.
[16]susan cotton-tail had sandwiches in that basket, and cabbage leaves and radishes, and little cookies cut in the shape of a rabbit. (one of the mother rabbits had made these for a joke.)
after a nice visit susan said she must go home.
susan wanted to go and pick berries next day. bunny asked his mother if he might go too, and she said he might, if he would try to be a good little rabbit after this. bunny promised, and then he went with susan to the gate.
